A recent research study has discovered that critically endangered North Atlantic right whales are now engaging in nighttime surface feeding, which places them at a higher risk of being struck by boats. Published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One, the study highlights this new behavior in North Atlantic right whales and suggests it could aid in preventing fatal collisions with vessels.
The primary author of the study, Jay Kirkham, a PhD student from Dalhousie University in Halifax, collaborated with the U.S.-based non-profit organization Ocean Alliance to attach tags to 23 right whales in the Shediac Valley, located in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. During the summer, a segment of the North Atlantic right whale population, estimated at about 384 whales, congregates in the Shediac Valley for feeding purposes.
The tags collected video footage and data on the whales’ movements and swimming directions. Kirkham utilized this footage to observe right whale feeding behavior during daylight hours. He described how the whales slow down significantly when they open their mouths to feed, necessitating more effort by kicking their tails vigorously.
By training a machine learning algorithm with these observations, Kirkham identified that right whales are feeding at the same depth as large vessels at night, heightening the risk of potential collisions. While these whales typically feed near the sea floor during the day, they ascend in the water column at night to follow their food source, zooplankton.
According to Kirkham, collisions with vessels and entanglements in fishing gear are major causes of death among the right whale population. This study could aid in developing conservation strategies for protecting the whales, which are currently overseen by Transport Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada stated that their measures concentrate on preventing whale entanglements in fishing gear and enforcing seasonal fishing closures. The study findings could assist in formulating tailored management strategies for safeguarding North Atlantic right whales. Transport Canada enforces speed limitations and a vessel exclusion zone in the Shediac Valley during the summer to reduce the risk of boat-whale collisions.
However, Kirkham noted that the tagged whales spent a significant portion of their feeding time outside the vessel exclusion zone, exposing them to ship traffic. Transport Canada mentioned that they operate a right whale surveillance program using visual and audio detection tools to protect the whales from collisions.
Utilizing the latest scientific research, monitoring data, and stakeholder feedback, Transport Canada continually updates its protection measures for North Atlantic right whales.
